Improved folding chair



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Letters Patent No. 101,186, dated llaaqh 22, 1870.

nviPRovED FOLDING CHAR.

The Schedulereferrd to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known 'that I, JOSEPH H. TRAVIS, of Charlestown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an'Improved Folding Chair; and I do hereby declare that ther following, taken in connection with the drawings whichl accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

My invention relates to the construction of folding chairs,fwitl1 reference to such specific arrangement and connection of the folding seat and crossing legs as shall conduce to a greater strength than is generally found in suoli chairs, and to such disposition of the folding parts as shall give theehair a greater degree of neatncss when folded.

My invention consists iu combining with a chair, in

4 which two crossing legs form each side frame thereof,

one leg of cach pair heilig extended up to form with the crossing bars the back or back frame, a seat, pivoted near its front, and having in front of the pivots two links jointed at their upper ends to the under side of the seat, and at their lower ends to the fi'ont feet of the chair, or to a rung extending across the same, so that, as the crossing legs are folding together, these links cause the seat, from the pivots/to the hack, to turn up, the sides of the seat near the back having pins which run in guide-grooves or loops, in or on the rails ofthe hack frame.

The drawings represent a chair embodying my improvements, the naked frame only` being shown, as upholstery would more or less hide the peculiar construction.

A shows a fi'ont elevation, and

B, aside elevation ofthe open chair.

C shows a frontelevation, and

D, a side elevation of the folded chair.

a b, a' b denote two pairs of crossing legs, the legs of each pair being pivoted together, as seen at c, and the legs a af extending upward, as seen at (l, to form a back, or, with the cross-bars e, a back frame and flexible straps j being fastened at one end to the tops of the legs b b', and at the other end to the rails 1,to form arms, and to assist in keeping the parts from A` spreading when the chair is open and occupied.

g denotes the seat, the opposite side edges of which are pivoted, as seen at It, to the inner faces ofthe legs b b', the pivot-pins extending into grooves tin such faces.

In front of the pivot-pins two links, lo, are jointed to the under side of the chair, the links extending down and being jointed at their lower ends to the lower ends ofthe legs a a', or to a rung, l, as seen in the drawings. v

These links are rigid, and the-front of the chair rests, when weighted, mostly upon them, and through them upon the legs ct a', very nearthe licor, tlms taking the weight and strain from the upper ends of the legs b b',

v as will be readily understood.

Near the vback ofthe seat two pins, m, project from its edge, these pins entering grooves in the rails d, or playing in loops n, as seen in the drawings, the pins and the super-incumbent weight upon the chair, back of the pivots h, resting upon the lower ends of the loops.

The parts being thus connected and arranged, it will be seen that, as the legs are folded together, the link It will draw down the ti'ont'of the chair-seat, causing such seat to tip 011 its pivots Il, and the main part of the seat to tip up, guided in its movement by the links 7c, pivots, h, and pins m, and loops 11., causing the scat to assume the position shown at B and D, the top of the seat to the front.

In upholstering folding chairs of this class, it is oustomary to use webbing goods, with a broad central stripe, running vertically shrough the back and horizontally across the seat from front to rear. y

VVhcu such chairs, as commonly made, are folded, the seat generally either drops at the rear, or rises at the front, and in either case the bot-tom of the chair faces to the front, presenting an unsightly surface to view, while wit-l1 my construction, as the chair-seat tips up at the hack, it will be obvious that the upholstered and ornament-ed top comes to the fiont, and that the stripe, if thc striped upholstery goods be used, forms a continued line or matched figure upon the frontface of the seat and front face of the back,

while thelinks by which, in connection with the other parts, this disposition ot' the folded back is effected, give great support and strength to the seat, and save from strain the other part-s when the chair is open and a person is seat-ed in it.

I claim a folding chair having the seat supported at the front upon links, and arranged to tip up with its top to theii'ont by sliding in grooves orloops in the back of the chair, substantially as described.

' JOSEPH H. TRAVIS.

Witnesses:

J. B. CROSBY, L. H. LATIMER. 

